Asylum
by Feckless
Summary: Naruto is kidnapped and placed in a world unfamiliar. Suddenly thrown into a scheme and plot that includes his death, he relies on a eccentric brunet to save him.   eventual SasuNaru
1. Chapter 1

**Summary: Naruto is kidnapped and placed in a world unfamiliar. Suddenly thrown into a scheme and plot that includes his death, he relies on a eccentric brunet to save him. [ eventual SasuNaru ]**

Naruto paused in mid-stroke, his paintbrush froze just inches over his canvas. He had been painting for over two hours now and yet, he had no idea what he was creating. Lowering his brush, he took a few steps back and observed his painting. There were several things that were familiar such as the tall grass and the short trees that outlined the city but the rest of the painting...he had no idea where he took them from.

He almost never painted without reference.

Peeking out of the grass, he could see a creature, that had the head of a fanged-rabbit but the body of a small deer. The sky was tinged orange, the color of the sunset and two suns hung in the sky. One was positioned in the east and the other was just barely peeking out in the west-Naruto wondered how he even knew it was a sun and not a mistaken brushstroke. In the distance, there was a castle and though it was small Naruto knew that there were several people inside that lived and talked. He knew that at this time of day, they would be out selling their goods at the market.

Swallowing with some difficulty, Naruto picked up his brush and hastily finished the painting. It was happening again. These visions of places he'd never been, of creatures that didn't exist, they were haunting him again. He picked up his painting with care and placed it with the rest of his work. He placed it on the end of the line and took a forlorn look at his creations.

They were tangible proof of his insanity. From start to finish, the paintings shown what he saw. They were blurry and unimaginative at first, lacking color and feeling but as the visions got stronger he could see. He could see the townspeople and animals in that place. He felt what they felt and he wanted to be with them. Many times he would catch himself having a conversation with his painting of a person he'd never seen.

He was going insane. He needed help.

* * *

><p>Mr. Umino clicked his pen, his clipboard filled with notations. He adjusted his glasses as he looked at the young man in front of him. With a sigh he began, "Mr. Uzumaki, I understand you are concerned but there is nothing wrong with an over-active imagination."<p>

Naruto ran a hand through his hair, ruffling the strands violently he whispered heatedly "This isn't my imagination. I can see these places and hear the voices of the people I draw! This can't be normal-"

"Mr. Uzumaki!"

The therapist frowned at the dejected look he recieved. Naruto took a shuddering breath and buried his head in his hands. His shoulders shook occasionally, but Mr. Umino knew the man wasn't crying. He would never show such weakness in front of him.

"Naruto..." He said softly. "Naruto, it'll be alright. Trust me. It's nothing."

Naruto kept his head down and shook it slowly. He was sniffling, struggling to stop himself from crying.

"How about this then, stop painting for a while and go out to the market. They're having a festival today." Standing up, he walked around his desk and gave Naruto's shoulder a comforting pat. "It'll take your mind off of things. That may be all you need."

Naruto exhaled before standing and quickly wiping the beginnings of his tears away. He gave his therapist a small smile and waved as he approached the door. Just before exiting though he whispered, "Thank you, Iruka." He walked out of the door, and closed it behind him gently.

Iruka would like that, they hadn't called each other by their first names ever since Naruto filed for his independence. Walking out of the building, Naruto lifted his head up. He could see the fliers and banners that were hanging around buildings. Maybe Iruka was right. Maybe all he needed was something to get his mind away from this madness. With confident gait, Naruto followed the banners. His hope growing with every step.

* * *

><p>This was a mistake.<p>

Somehow in his hope-filled sprint to the festival, he had forgotten he hated crowds. He seemed to also forget his distaste for children of all ages. He was akward around the little children and was deathly afraid of hurting their feelings or hurting them physically. They were just so _small_! He was a bit better handling teenagers who, in his eyes, were just younger adults.

Frantically, he tried to turn around and run back to his home only to find that he was caught in the middle of a mob. This was terrible. His breathing was increasing by the second. Panting, he backed himself into a corner and under a small hut. Thankfully, it was empty.

Sitting down on the dirt floor, he tried to calm himself down. This is what he gets for deciding to be a painter. He never really had any reason to go outside anymore. He had become a shut-in as soon as he got his independence. His phone-bills were drastically low. He didn't own a car. What kind of person had he become in those few months?

A sharp cry from outside brought him back to reality. Taking several more calming breaths, he took a peek outside.

The crowd was migrating, following some attraction in front of them. Most of the children were gone, only a few people remained in that spot. Naruto stood and walked outside. The air felt so much less constricting. Without the horde of people mingling around, Naruto could see that there was one girl still around. The sole child was crying-no-sobbing into her hand. Her dress was muddied and ruffled, as if she had been in a fight sometime prior. Concerned, Naruto approached her.

"Are you alright?"

"Someone took my mommy away!" The girl sniffled. "I want my mommy!"

He had to fight to stop the grimace from appearing on his face. This girl was too young. Unsure of how to comfort her, he asked the next reasonable question. "Where did they take her?"

The girl hesitated but turned around and pointed to the throng of trees past the market. The forest. That explained the dirt and mess that was on the poor girl's dress, she must have gone looking for her. Without another word, Naruto stepped away from the girl and towards the forest. He told her to go to the closest police officer and tell her exactly what she told him. As she ran to follow his directions, Naruto jogged through the market.

The people weren't paying attention to him. The person who took that woman probably wouldn't have had any witnesses if the people acted the same as they did with him. He could imagine it already. The woman, being dragged and held against her will as her kidnapper dragged her into the woodland. She would try to scream and get the attention of someone-anyone but they were too busy with their own world. He could feel her despair. He could feel her fear.

_This was the same path she took_, he thought, _I am walking the path she did_.

The feelings grew stronger and stronger as he walked, his drive deteriorating with each step. He didn't want to go into the forest-no-these weren't his feelings. They weren't. He was afraid for her. Afraid as if he was her. He approached the trees, his body shaking, his stomach becoming unsettled.

His foot touched the grass, the beginning of the wood and suddenly all was clear. The fear was gone.

There was something in this forest, hopefully it would be the girl's mother.

He forced himself to forget the sudden panic attack he almost had and moved through the forest with cautious speed. Everything seemed still and though he tried to find any signs of life, it seemed he was the only being in this serene place.

The bushes rustled beside him and Naruto froze. He knew that if it was something big, like a bear or a wolf, it wouldn't do any good to stay still. If it wanted to attack it would. Even so, he couldn't help but think it would be nice if it was a rabbit. Rabbits were quiet, plant-eating creatures. They were cute too. He wanted it to be a rabbit.

_Mew_

Naruto looked down and felt a gentle brush against his legs. Looking down, he let out a sigh of relief. Picking up the feline, he held it level with his face. "Well, you aren't a rabbit, but you are just as good." He paused, smiling as the creature continued to stare. The cat showed no sign of dislike toward being carried. "Have you seen a woman come by here?"

The cat stiffened then gave a particuarly nasty hiss as he struggled to get free. Startled, he let it go and watched confused as it bounded into the forest. The bushes rustled again but this time Naruto knew that it wouldn't be something small. A paw broke through the leaves, bulky and covered in blood. Then, without warning, the rest of the beast appeared. The mouth and chest of the beast was covered in blood and taters of fabric. The girl's mother...

The monster roared, its body rippling under its black fur. He noticed that it looked feline in build. The cat he had before must have run to escape this beast. Scared, Naruto could only watch as the monster walked towards him.

"Finally, Alice. I have found you."

Before he could comprehend what the creature had said it was leaping onto him and ripping into his chest. With a scream, Naruto closed his eyes and let welcomed sleep take him away from the pain.


	2. Chapter 2

Naruto woke to the gentle caress of a hand running through his hair. He was drowsy and still incredibly frightened, so the touch made him freeze at first. His stomach ached and felt tender as he flinched away from the violating hand. When it continued he let out a noise in protest and jerked away. Still, the hand continued.

Cautiously, he opened his eyes.

Only then, when he could see the man in front of him, did he realize he was being held. His upper body was lying in the man's lap who never stopped petting him. Naruto jolted up, but the man grabbed his shoulders and forced him back down again.

"Alice, you will start bleeding again. You don't want that do you?"

Naruto swallowed, trying to understand the situation. "My name isn't Alice...I'm not even a woman."

The man's fingers ran through his hair again and was followed by a wistful sigh. "The other plane has ruined you my Alice. You don't remember a thing." Then he held Naruto's wrist and stood, bringing Naruto up with him. He looked into Naruto's eyes and when the other man looked away he held the sides of Naruto's head to keep him still. His eyes were a deep black and flashed red for only a moment before he too looked away.

"It's not too late."

"What?"

"Alice, remember what you promised me?" The man said, almost frantically. "You promised me I could have what was inside of you if I let you go to the other plane."

The man's grip on his hand loosened as he began to ramble about promises and how this wasn't fair. His eyes kept flashing a dangerous red as he talked himself into a rage, working himself up. He turned towards Naruto and let out a snarl, his hand darted out and snatched the man close to him. Naruto let out an unintentional yelp. The man grinned, his smile sinister. He ran his tongue over his canines as he let out a short, humorless laugh.

"You wont do this to me, Alice. I will have my reward."

The man let out a violent hiss and opened his mouth. He descended into Naruto's neck, mouth wide.

The man jerked suddenly, making a loud yell as he released Naruto and fell onto the ground. An arrow was lodged in his temple. He crumpled to the ground with a groan. When blood began to creep out of the wound, Naruto looked away and began searching for the attacker. As if on cue, a woman on horseback came riding in quite calmly. Instead of worrying about the man she shot, her eyes locked on Naruto and widened.

"You are..."

"Naruto," He finished for her, having a feeling she was going to say the same as the man before had. The woman stared at him confused then gave a small smile and dismounted from her horse.

"Of course. Naruto," She paused, her eyes flicking quickly to the skies as she tested the name. "Please forgive me for not being able to give you a proper welcome. We must move."

The man on the ground let out another groan as he sat up and felt the spine of the arrow lodged in his skull. With an annoyed snort, he yanked out the arrow before licking his palm and rubbing the blood away. He continued to do this action, his eyes locked on his attacker and Naruto. He paused in mid-lick and stood, walking towards the both of them. The woman swiftly pulled out her bow and aimed her arrow, her eyes narrowing dangerously.

"There's no reason to be testy, Sakura. I just wanted what I had been promised."

Sakura scoffed. "You will never get his Beast. Leave." She aimed the arrow a bit better, this time aiming for his throat.

"If you kill me Sakura, Alice will be sent back to the other plane where she will stay until the end of her life." The pale man let out an airy chuckle, the idea tickling him. "That would kill the Royals wouldn't it? Having their Alice back only for her to be snatched away again."

Sakura let out a growl, her bow lowering as she faced Naruto again. Said man was watching the interaction with mild curiousity and confusion. She led him to her horse and helped him get on. Naruto felt akward being on such a large animal-even a bit frightened-but he stayed on the horse for fear of what the woman would do if he got off. She climbed on behind him, holding the horses reins in her hand.

"You plan out outriding me? Sakura, I could have sworn you were smarter than that."

Without another word, Sakura jerked at the reins and they were riding through the trees, leaving the man far behind. As the trees became thinner, Naruto looked to the sky and realized that the sky was a familiar orange.

They rode for what seemed like hours. The trees of the forest were long gone. He expected to be riding into the town when the trees ceased but soon realized as he saw a dirt road go on for miles in the distance, he wasn't at home anymore. Then, as if called by his realization, his panic that had disappeared when he woke came rushing back. He let out a yell and grabbed into the female rider's side, screaming at her to stop and take him back. He didn't know where he was. He was terrified. Eventually, after he was about to have a panic attack, the woman stopped her horse and helped him off.

After tending to her horse, she began gathering wood. The orange tint of the sky was beginning to darken. Already, Naruto had spent a day in this strange place. He watched as the woman put the wood in a pile and sprinkled something from her pouch onto it. It burst into a controlled flame.

"So, Naruto," She looked at him unsurely, wondering if she got his name right. When he nodded she continued. "What brings you back to the Fire Nation?"

"I was attacked..."

"Attacked?"

He swallowed. "Attacked by a monster with black fur. It was almost as big as a tiger!"

"Tiger?" The woman asked before shaking her head. "I'm sorry, I'm unfamiliar with the beings that live on a plane other than this one."

Naruto frowned, feeling out of place. He looked towards the fire and sighed, basking in its warmth. Closing his eyes, he pretended that he was at home. He pretended that he was in his apartment with his paintings and not in some strange land. The thought made him feel better, but it wasn't enough to stop the unhappy feelings he had from being here.

"Ah, forgive me, I haven't given you a proper introduction." The woman stood only to bow before him. Startled, his jaw dropped as he watched her place a hand over her heart. "I am Sakura Haruno, medical servant and ranger for the Royals. I am proficient in geography and many herbs, poisons and craft."

"Oh, H-hello Sakura?" Naruto stammered softly. As silence gathered, he noticed that she hadn't stood back up. Concerned, he met her eyes and recieved an expectant look. Unsure of what to do, he looked away and made a pitiful noise. I must be doing something wrong, he thought and swallowed with tremendous difficulty. "Why wont you stand...?"

Sakura gawked for a moment before letting out a soft laugh. It sounded like a sigh. She waited, staring at him for a few moments before returning to her sitting position. She seemed reluctant. "I was waiting for you to give me permission to stand. I wanted you to acknowledge me."

Sakura sounded so disappointed, not at Naruto exactly but at herself. If that didn't make Naruto feel bad, her facial expression made him feel horrible. Her eyes lost their happy gleam and though she smiled, it held no mirth. He hurt her feelings.

"I'm sorry..."

Sakura looked at him pointedly, surprised. "You...don't apologize. I had forgotten you are suffering from amnesia." She looked away. "It isn't your fault."

Then without speaking she was up again, leading her horse closer to the campsite. She unhooked a rolled up fabric from the saddle and began setting it up. It took a few minutes for Naruto to notice that she was building a temporary hut. It looked very comfortable. She set another piece of fabric on the ground of the hut and made sure the outside was stable. No wind or rain would be able to damage this tent. She returned to Naruto and held out her hand, when he held it she yanked him up.

"Sleep. We will have to move early tomorrow."

She pushed him inside of the hut. Grabbing a blanket for herself as she sat beside the fire. She reached for water to put it out.

"Won't you be sleeping inside too?"

Sakura gave a hearty laugh that she tried to stiffle with her hand and shook her head. After calming down she whispered "You really have changed, dear Alice."

Not thinking much of that reoccuring name, Naruto slipped inside the hut and curled up. The warmth of the fire still present in his mind,he fell asleep and dreamt of home.

* * *

><p>When Sakura said they would be leaving early, she really did mean they would be leaving early. When she woke Naruto up, the sun had just begun to peek in the horizon, stars still lit in the sky. It was beautiful seeing the dark of the night meet with the beginnings of the morning and he desperately wished he could paint the image. He never wanted to forget this amazing image.<p>

Sakura continued to pack up her supplies with haste and make sure her horse was ready to mount. The animal stomped the ground impatiently, ready to ride.

Naruto let out a sigh, shaking his shoulders to be rid of the drowsy feelings he had. The morning air was cold and the grass around them was covered in dew. The shaking only annoyed him, there was no way he could shake these tired feelings away when he was constantly being reminded it was early. He let out a loud yawn, covering his mouth a second too late.

"Oh, my poor Alice. You seem so tired." A sly voice cooed from behind him. Two arms wrapped around his waist and pulled him back, his back hitting a chest. "I would be delighted to carry you."

Naruto began, "What-" but Sakura was beside them both before Naruto could finish.

"Sasuke, you are no longer allowed to be close to him! Be gone!"

"Dearest Alice is tired and you have failed to accomodate my host properly. It is my sworn duty as a chesire to treat my master with the most respect...unless you would like it if I went to the Royals? They would love to hear that you openly disobey their laws."

Sakura let out a violent shriek and continued to pack. Still pressed against Sasuke, Naruto squirmed uncomfortably but stopped when the man responded with a warning growl. Sasuke leaned in and pressed his nose against the top of Naruto's head. Sighing, he continued to inhale, walking them both towards the furious woman. Once he got close to her, he let Naruto go and gave the blond an interested look.

Then he shuddered and closed his eyes.

Struck by sudden awe and disgust, Naruto could only stare.

He lowered himself to the ground, his hands arching slightly as they touched the dirt. He continued to shake, his body molding and changing in front of Naruto. Black fur grew and creeped along his body. His skin rippled, muscles becoming more animalistic. The man began to heave, his body arching and staying that way. The hunch reminded him slightly of a hyena. The beast growled, his body still shaking with the afteraffects of the transformation.

Naruto's eyes widened and he took a step back. This was the beast who was eating his chest earlier.

"Y-you..."

"I am so glad you remember me, Alice." Sasuke trotted towards him, ran between his legs and lifted himself to his full height. "I will carry you and you can sleep. When you wake we can talk about our promises."

Naruto opened his mouth to argue, but suddenly he felt tired. Very tired. He let out a confused noise as he began to slump against Sasuke's back. Whimpering slightly, he squirmed as he fought the sleep but to no avail. This time he dreamt of darkness.


End file.
